Tech Talk-Weather Alert Apps

Tech Talk-Weather Alert Apps

First, you may not know it, but most phones automatically receive emergency weather alerts. Check your phones settings and notifications and you'll see something like this on the iPhone. It receives emergency alerts, but has to be on. Check with your carrier for specifics, but when activated, you'll get warnings like this. The system also sends out Amber Alerts and, in dire emergencies, Presidential warnings. If you want more weather information besides alerts, think about an app. An excellent one is the Tornado Warning app from the Red Cross. It's free, works on Apple and Android devices and tracks a tornado as it approaches. It will give you step-by-step advice about what to do before the storm hits. A siren warning is built into the app and goes off when officials issue a tornado warning in your area. There's also a customizable notifications system to let friends and family know when the user is safe. It uses social media, text and e-mail to do this. Another good one: My Radar. It's a free app for all the major mobile platforms. It displays animated weather radar around your location, allowing you to quickly see what weather is coming your way. For 3-99 you can include weather warnings and alerts, complete with push notifications, to warn you of severe weather in your area. Finally, download the NBC 2 app for Apple and Android for a live look at ESP:Live Radar.